Hydrangea plant named ‘Levana’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘Levana’, characterized by its upright plant habit; strong and sturdy stems that hold inflorescences upright; large lacecap-type inflorescences with large white-colored sterile flowers; and fragrant flowers are attractive to butterflies, particularly  Araschnia levana.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LEVANA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea paniculata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Levana’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Brecht, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Hydrangea plants with strong stems, reliability and tolerant to pathogens and pests.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from an open-pollination in 1996 of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Barbara’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,606, as the female, or seed parent and an unknown selection of Hydrangea paniculata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 2002 as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Brecht, Belgium.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Brecht, Belgium has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Levana’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Levana’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Strong and sturdy stems that hold inflorescences upright.     -   3. Large lacecap-type inflorescences with large white-colored         sterile flowers.     -   4. Fragrant flowers are attractive to butterflies, particularly         Araschnia levana.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Barbara’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea have stronger stems than plants         of ‘Barbara’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have larger and more uniform         inflorescences than plants of ‘Barbara’.     -   3. Sterile flowers of plants of the new Hydrangea have smaller         sepals than sterile flowers of plants of ‘Barbara’.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Le Vasterival’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,272. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Hydrangea differ from plants of ‘Le Vasterival’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more upright than plants of         ‘Le Vasterival’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have stronger stems than plants         of ‘Le Vasterival’.     -   3. Plants of the new Hydrangea have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Le Vasterival’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance of the new Hydrangea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Levana’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Levana’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves of ‘Levana’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were grown during the autumn in an outdoor nursery in The Netherlands and under conditions which closely approximate commercial Hydrangea production conditions. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 16° C. Plants of the new Hydrangea were 18 months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Levana’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Hydrangea paniculata ‘Barbara’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,606.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Hydrangea             paniculata,not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About one             month at temperatures of about 30° C. to 35° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About two to             three months at temperatures of about 5° C. to 10° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; light brown             to white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium in density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial deciduous shrub;             upright plant habit; broadly inverted triangle; strong and             sturdy lateral branches; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 64.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 64.4 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 34.3 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 6.1 cm. Texture, developing:             Sparsely pubescent. Texture, developed: Smooth, glabrous.             Strength: Strong, sturdy. Color, developing: Close to 146C.             Color, developed: Close to 199A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 13.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 7.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to elliptic.         -   Apex.—Short apiculate.         -   Base.—Rounded to short attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A and             144A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A; venation,             close to 147C to 147D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:             Close to 147B to 147C; venation, close to 193B to 193C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 177A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146C             to 146D and 195A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single sterile and fertile flowers             arranged on large terminal and axillary lacecap-type             panicles; panicles broadly conical in shape; flowers face             upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant, sweet; fragrant flowers are             attractive to butterflies, particularly Araschnia levana.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering throughout             the summer to early autumn in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity, fertile flowers.—Flowers last about one             week on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower longevity, sterile flowers.—Flowers last about three             weeks on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; about 200 fertile             flowers and about 15 sterile flowers per inflorescence.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 17.2 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 16.1 cm.         -   Flower diameter, fertile flowers.—About 1 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), fertile flowers.—About 9 mm.         -   Flower diameter, sterile flowers.—About 5.2 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), sterile flowers.—About 9 mm.         -   Flower buds, fertile flowers.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Shape: Broadly ovoid. Color: Close to 150D.         -   Flower buds, sterile flowers.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to 150D and 157A.         -   Petals, fertile flowers only.—Arrangement: Five in a single             whorl. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape:             Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to NN155B. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to NN155B.         -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—Quantity per flower: Five in a             single whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:             Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 157B.         -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity per flower: About four in             a single whorl. Length: About 2.7 cm. Width: About 2.2 cm.             Shape: Broadly elliptical to broadly obovate. Apex: Rounded             to retuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 157C to 157D. When opening, lower surface:             Close to 157D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 157D and 155A; with development, color becomes closer to             145B.         -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Strength: Moderately strong.             Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 157C to 157D.         -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Strength: Moderately strong.             Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to N155A to N155B.         -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers only.—Stamens: Quantity             per flower: About ten. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament             color: Close to N155A. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther             length: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 155A. Pollen             amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 158C to 158D.             Pistils: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Two to three-lobed. Stigma             color: Close to 155C. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color:             Close to 155A to 155B. Ovary color: Close to 155A to 155B.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Hydrangea. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Hydrangea. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been shown     to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4 and tolerant to high     temperatures of about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘Levana’ as illustrated and described. 